Bulls exacted a measure of revenge for last season’s defeat in the United Rugby Championship final with victory over Glasgow, denting Warriors’ hopes of a top-two finish in the process.
Warriors have already secured a home tie in the quarter-finals and are chasing a second-place finish that would also guarantee a home semi-final, should they reach the last four.
That outcome now looks a tall order after the Bulls overpowered the defending champions at Scotstoun.
Three Johan Goosen penalties gave the visitors a slender half-time advantage, with Jamie Dobie responding with a try for the hosts.
Johann Grobbelaar and David Kriel crossed after the break to put Bulls on the road to victory, though Kyle Steyn and Stafford McDowall scored in the dying moments to secure an unlikely losing bonus-point that sees Glasgow cling on to that crucial second spot.
Warriors looked to inject tempo from the start and opened up the Bulls with McDowall sending Sebastian Cancelliere charging for the line, but he was held up by an outstanding bit of defending by prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Goosen kicked the first points of the match to edge the visitors in front and the South African side were showing monstrous physicality in defence to stifle Glasgow’s attacks.
Goosen boomed a monster penalty over from just inside his own half to stretch the Bulls’ lead, though they did lose prop Wilco Louw to the sin bin for a high shot on Patrick Schickerling.
With a man advantage, Warriors finally started putting some dents in the wall of blue jerseys with some big carries, Alex Samuel in particular doing some damage.
The home side finally created a chink in the Bulls armour when McDowall slung out a beauty of a long pass to Dobie – just on the pitch for the injured Kyle Rowe – to go over to score.
It was just what Glasgow needed, though another long-range penalty from Goosen gave the visitors a two-point cushion at the break.
That lead was soon extended as Grobbelaar rumbled over the line for Bulls first try of the evening early in the second half. Goosen, pinpoint from the tee all night, added the extras and knocked over another penalty to make it 19-7, leaving Glasgow in a big hole.
That hole became a crater when Tom Jordan failed to deal with a kick over the top from Sebastian de Klerk, allowing the winger to steal in and gather the loose ball before popping off for Kriel to score. Game over.
Warriors had struggled to find space all night, then suddenly there was lots of it. Steyn ran in what looked like a consolation try, but when McDowall crossed moments later, a losing bonus-point, and possibly even a draw, was on the cards.
A botched reception of the restart put paid to that, and the Bulls got the victory their performance deserved.
Jake White’s side now look odds-on to seal second spot, with home matches against Cardiff and Dragons to come, while Glasgow face trips to face Benetton in Italy and Leinster in Dublin.
As they did last season, if Glasgow are to win the URC title, they are going to have to do it the hard way.
